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Manitoba Post-Secondary News Roundup

Classes are out and students are off for the summer. Now is the time to get outside and enjoy the weather. But in case you’re caught indoors, here is some light reading – Campus Manitoba’s post-secondary news roundup, featuring stories and events from our seven partner institutions.

Students and professionals across Manitoba will be provided free access to a suite of online learning resources developed by Red River College for the Science of Early Child Development. This initiative includes regularly updated living textbooks and modules that contain research and practice links through an online portal. “Living textbooks are a cost-effective way to continually expand knowledge and provide educational opportunities to everyone involved in the sector,” says Families Minister Scott Fielding.

The use of these resources eliminates the license fee currently required to register. This benefits hundreds of students and teaching staff, as well as many others within the profession or interested in the impact of early experiences on lifelong health and well-being.

A new workforce development centre that brings together industry and workers has celebrated its grand opening at University College of the North Thompson Campus. The centre will provide participants with a clear pathway of how to reach their employment goals. This will result in employers having access to qualified, trained workers with different levels of experience.

“We are here to work with northern Manitoba to build a stronger economy and a brighter future,” said Ian Wishart, Education and Training Minister. “This new centre will provide innovative training in one convenient place to prepare workers for in-demand jobs here in Thompson and the surrounding regions. We want to create direct paths from training to employment.”

Red River College announced that it will be providing financial support for up to 85 students enrolled in one of their five new programs launching this fall. In partnership with Indspire, the School of Indigenous Education Award will cover the cost of tuition, books and supplies.

“Red River College is working to create a seamless flow of wrap-around supports for aspiring Indigenous students, to help increase enrollment and graduation rates across the College,” says Rebecca Chartrand, RRC’s Executive Director, Indigenous Strategy. “These bursaries will help remove the existing financial barriers that many of our learners face.”

The province has announced that it will be streamlining the application process for Manitoba Student Aid and Manitoba Bursary. This will help more low-income and Indigenous students access funding. With plans to distribute up to $8.6 million in additional loans for the 2018-19 year, the province predicts this will increase enrollment in post-secondary. “We’re introducing a simplified user-friendly service model that is more predictable so students can save and budget accordingly,” said Ian Wishart, Education and Training Minister. “With easier access to loans and bursaries, we expect more students to enroll in post-secondary education, which opens doors to success. Plus, students can continue to work while they’re in school, as we will no longer scale back loans or bursaries because of employment.”

Additionally, the province intends to add a fixed contribution rate for student loans and grants, a three-year Skills Boost pilot program, and an exclusion of First Nations band funding as part of the student financial assessment so more Indigenous students are eligible for grants.

“We welcome these changes to Manitoba Student Aid, which will help us provide more support directly to more students,” said Dr. Steven Robinson, interim president of Brandon University. “As enrolment at Brandon University continues to climb, it’s more important than ever to invest in student supports, such as bursaries. This is excellent news for students.”

In honour of its 50th anniversary, Brandon University paired up with award-winning Nonsuch Brewing Co. to create a custom golden ale. This limited-edition ale is on shelves in Brandon, with a portion of the proceeds going towards the BU Foundation. “During this special anniversary year, we are celebrating everyone who has been a part of Brandon College and Brandon University,” said Interim President Steve Robinson. “Along with special events and commemorations, popping the cork on a custom bottle of beer is a fun and festive way to cheer our birthday.”

Campus Manitoba is a consortium of Manitoba’s public post-secondary institutions. Through collaborative projects and shared services, we facilitate student mobility and expand access to post-secondary programs for students in Manitoba. In addition to campusmanitoba.ca, our websites include ecoursesmb.ca, setyourcourse.ca, and openedmb.ca.